Taiwan moved clear of Mexico to be the only country at No. 2 in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Men’s Baseball World Rankings.
Meanwhile, draft bills to set up a ministry of sports were approved at a joint session at the legislature in Taipei yesterday.
After previously being tied with Mexico for second on 4,118 points, Taiwan moved clear on 5,498 points after they defeated Japan in the final of the WBSC Premier12 tournament on Sunday.
Mexico (4,729) dropped to fourth, behind Venezuela (4,846), who finished fourth at the tournament.
Taiwan narrowed the gap to first-placed Japan to 1,368 points from 1,638, WBSC data showed.
Meanwhile, draft organic laws for a ministry of sports and a sports-for-all administration were approved by legislative committees.
Photo: Hsieh Chun-lin, Taipei Times
The Cabinet on Oct. 17 approved the bills and they made it through a joint session of the Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee and the Education and Culture Committee yesterday, earning support from all parties without any provisions for further review.
The ministry would be established by the Executive Yuan to build a “sports for all” environment and develop a sporting culture in terms of education, athletics, industry and diplomacy, with a focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and sustainability, the bills say.
The ministry would have a minister, two deputy ministers and a vice minister, they say.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) proposed building a museum to preserve sporting culture and history.
KMT Legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) in an incidental resolution said that the agency responsible for managing fulltime coaches should be affiliated with the ministry.
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) caucus whip Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) and other TPP lawmakers in a motion to amend the bills mentioned the planning, promotion and management of adapted physical education, para-athletics and inclusive sports, as well as the hosting of international sports events and the arrangements for local athletes to take part in global sports organizations.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin I-chin (林宜瑾) and other DPP lawmakers in a separate motion added a goal to “ensure good work conditions for the sports industry to enhance the labor-management relationship.”
The lawmakers reached a consensus on the planned ministry’s roles and responsibilities, including the planning, promotion and management of national policies and regulations; development of talent and industries; consultation services for professional sports; preservation and promotion of sporting culture and history; management of sports betting and a sports development fund; and promotion and supervision of sports science development.
DPP Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱), who hosted the meeting, said that the bills would be handed over for cross-party negotiations, during which lawmakers could voice more opinions.
An impromptu motion by DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) to establish Nov. 24 as a national baseball day was also approved.
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